Snap top cardboard box



Sept. 6, 1960 F. A. WENZEL SNAP TOP CARDBOARD BOX 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledSept. 10, 1956 INVENTOR. FREaE/e/cK/Q I'VE/v2.54 BY M I W 9 Sept. 6,1960 F. A. WENZEL 2,951,627

SNAP TOP CARDBOARD BOX Filed Sept. 10, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

, kapgfiamx H. WE/V'ZEL A r ramvE 2/9 United States Patent nellPaperboard Products Co., Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of WisconsinFiled Sept. 10, 1956, Ser. No. 608,917

2 Claims. (Cl. 229- 44) This invention relates to a snap top cardboardbox.

All object of the invention is to provide a box of the characterdescribed which can be shipped flat, readily erected, filled and closedin a manner such as to require the breaking of some uncut fiber beforethe box can be opened, and which can be made of a minimum amount ofmaterial.

Boxes of the general type have long been known. In general, they haverequired the use of a practically complete insert with respect to whichthe cover is movable to bring about the snap action characteristic ofsuch a box. Due to the fact that a portion of the blank which forms aside wall of the insert is cut across the glue line which unites the endpanels of the blank to each other, the tab thus partially severedbecomes a part of the cover and makes it unnecessary to provide aseparate panel for completion of the cover.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in plan of the blank from which the box is made. i

Fig. 2 is a view in perspective showing the blank with a preliminaryfold and in process of traversing the gluing wheel.

Fig. 3 is a view in perspective showing the blank as folded subsequentto the application of glue.

Fig. 4 is a view in perspective showing the final fold which unites theend panels of the blank.

Fig. 5 is a view in front perspective showing the filled and closed box.

Fig. 6 is a view of the filled and closed box in rear perspective.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view in perspective showing the completed box asit appears when opened.

Fig. 8 is a View taken in section on line 88 of Fig. 7.

The blank shown in Fig. 1 comprises, in series, a box side panel 10, abox face panel 11, a box side panel 12, a box rear panel 13, a box linerside panel 14, a box front liner panel 15, and a box side liner panel16.

Flaps 17, 18, 19 and 20 are integrally connected with the bottom ends ofpanels 10, 11, 12 and 13 respectively.

The box top, which is integral with the rest of the blank, comprises inseries a top side panel 21, a top front panel 22, a top side panel 23, atop rear panel 24, and a tab which is cut by score line 26 from theinsert side panel 14 which has a laterally adjacent tab 27 projectingupwardly to the full height of insert panel 16. The portions 28 and 29of the insert front panel 15 extend to this same height, but the topmargin of panel 15 is cut or notched downwardly at 30 in the frontcenter of the box.

Closure flaps 31, 32, 33 and 34 are integrally connected upon fold lines35, 36, 37 and 38 with box panels 21, 22, 23 and 24 respectively. Unlessotherwise stated, all of the connections between panels are reprsentedby fold lines, but the various flaps are laterally free of each other asclearly indicated.

The cover panel 21 is only partially severed from box panel 10 by a rowof perforations at 40 and is completely severed by a slit 41 whichextends across the score line 42 and is continued in dot-dash form at 43across the top ofthe box front panel 11 to facilitate severance of thecover front panel 22 therefrom. Similarly, the cover side panel 23 ispartially severed from box side panel 12 by means of a slit at 44 and arow of perforations at 45. The score line 46 between the box rear panel13 and the cover rear panel 24 serves as ahinge for the cover after thelatter has been separated.

The box blank, being formed as shown in Fig. 1, is prepared for gluingby folding its insert front panel 15 and side panel 16 on score line 49as shown by the arrow 50 in Fig. 2. The surface of panel 14 which isthen lowermost is provided with a glue line which extends the Wholelength of the panel and of tab 25 as indicated at 51 in Fig. 3. It isimmaterial how this glue is applied, the glue wheel 53 and trough 54being entirely illustrative. It is important that a single gluingoperation coats one side of the panel 14, while at the same time coatingthe corresponding portion of tab 25 which was originally a part of thispanel but is severed therefrom by the cut at 26.

Following completion of the gluing operation, box panels '13, 14, 15 and16 are unitarily folded onto panels 11 and 12 on score line 55 asindicated by the arrow 56 in Fig. 3. Panel 10 is then folded over ontopanel 14 as indicated by the arrow 57 in Fig. 4, to complete the knockeddown carton, panel 10 adhering to panel 14 by reason of the adhesive at51.

When the folded and flattened blank shown in Fig. 4 is erected bypressing on its scored corners 55 and 58, it may be filled and the endflaps lapped and adhesively joined in conventional'manner' tolproduceth'efcarton shown in Figs. 5 to 8. The cover portion of .the carto'n isstill joined to the box thereof upon the perforations 40, slits 43, andscore line 46. When the cover is freed from the body of the carton forhinged movement upon the score line 46 by breaking the material of thecarton along the perforations 44] and the slits 41 and 43, the coverwill open as shown in Fig. 7. The tab 25 has been connected adhesivelyto the portion 21, thus completing the cover by adhesively attaching thecover side portion 21 to the cover rear portion 24.

Except where the tab 25 was slit from the insert portions of the device,the side panel 14, front panel 15 and side panel 16 of the insertproject upwardly well above the newly severed margins of the cartonproper to enter the cover and guide it in the course of its hingedmovement and provide the desired snap action where the cover front wallportion 22 has to be forced or sprung slightly in passing the uppercorners 59, 60 of the insert. To further provide means for frictionallyholding the cover in its closed position, the insert panel 15 isprovided with square cut laterally projecting tabs 61 which engagefrictionally the inner surfaces of the side panel portions 21 and 23 ofthe cover when the latter is in or near its closed position. The droppedportion provided by the notch 39' in the front wall panel portion 15 ofthe insert facilitates access to the contents. It is unnecessary in thecase of certain uses to which such a carton may be put.

It will be observed that the insert has no adhesive connection with thebody portion of the carton except insofar as one side panel of theinsert doubles as a glue flap to connect the carton panel in a closedseries. This side panel 14 of the insert is integrally joined with therear panel 13 of the carton on score line 62. In all other respects thedimensions of the insert are such as to adapt it to fit within thecarton proper, being maintained in rec tangular form shown in Fig. 7solely by reason of the fact that the carton panels are closed about itas clearly shown e 2,951,627 r 1 a,

in Fig. 8, Thus, so far as the collapsed carton shown in Fig. 4 isconcerned, the single glue line at 51 is all that is required tomaintain the assembly. The erected and filled carton requires only suchadhesive as is used to secure the top and bottom flaps. r 7

In previous snap action boxes, considerable additional stock has beenrequired to etfectclosure of the various panels constituting the hingedbox top. In the present device, the material required is greatly reducedby reason of the fact that a portion of insert panel 14 is severed at 25to provide, in the single operation which closes the series of panels, aconnection between the side and front panels of the top of the boxproper. In other words, so far asthe tab 25 is concerned, it is takenfrom the material of the insert and becomes a part of the carton itself.Not only is material saved but, as will be observed, the tab 25 closesback into the area from which it was cut. If a separate tab were reliedupon to provide the necessary connection between the side and backpanels of the top, this would lap the insert and create undesirablebulkiness that is avoided through the construction disclosed.

I claim:

1. As a new article of manufacture, a collapsed carton comprising inseries connection carton side, front and rear panels and insert side,front and side panels, the panels being defined by fold lines and theseveral panels constituting the carton having top-constituting portionsat their ends defined by partial severance respecting side and frontpanels and by a fold line respecting the rear panel, the material of therear panel extending upon a fold line integrally into a tab at leastpartially severed from the first insert side panel, a single line ofadhesive extending vertically of said first insert panel and the tab atleast partially severed therefrom and connecting the first insert panelto the first carton side panel at one end of said series of panels, thefront and both side panels of the insert lying within the front andcorresponding sides of the carton.

2. A box comprising in integral series a box side panel, a box frontpanel, a second box side panel, a box rear panel, an insert side panel,an insert front panel and an insert side panel, the first box side panelbeing in adhesive connection with the first insert side panel and theinsert side and front panels being disposed Within the box side andfront panel, the box rear panel being of a height approximatelycorresponding with the height of the insert panels and having a portiondefined by a fold line to constitute a rear cover panel, the box sideand front panels corresponding with the cover panel portions at leastpartially severed from the box front and side panels and integral withthe box rear cover panel portion aforesaid,

' means closing the cover and the bottom of the box, the

cover portions of the box panels being hingeable on the fold line formovement between positions in which the insert is covered and exposedrespectively, an initially integral portion of the first insert sidepanel constituting a tab connected with said rear cover panel portionand with a lapping side panel portion of the cover to provide connectiontherebetween, a single straight line of adhesive along the verticallyaligned box and cover first side panels aforesaid and adjacent theirfold line connection with respective rear box and cover panels providingthe said adhesive connection of the first box side panel to the firstinsert side panel and the said adhesive connection of said tab to saidlapping side panel portion of the cover.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,068,095 Weltzien Jan. 19, 1937 2,361,659 Smith Oct. 31, 1944 2,367,476Tyrseck Jan. 16, 1945 2,441,445 Ringler May 11, 1948 2,473,055 GuyerJune 14, 1949 2,796,212 Graybill June 18, 1957 2,836,342 Ringler May 27,1958 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No2351 627 September 6 1960 Frederick A. Wenzel It is hereby certifiedthat error appears in the printed specification of the above numberedpatent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should readas corrected below.

Column 1, line 68 for reprsented" read represented column 3, line 37after "panelsfl, first occurrence insert and said tab to a correspondingside panel of the cover I,

Signed and sealed this 4th day of April 1961a (SEAL) Attest; ERNEST W.SWIDER XX XXXMQQ ARTHUR W. CROCKER Attesting Ofiicer Acting Commissionerof Patents

